PSDTUTS has launched a “Solving Poverty” Button Design Contest in connection with the Blog Action Day 2008 theme—Poverty.
The contest aims to raise awareness about the issues surrounding global poverty, and empower designers to make a positive difference in the world. More »
From iPhone firmware 2.0.1, I upgraded to 2.1 using iPhone Dev Team’s newly released PwnageTool 2.1 for Mac (Note: If this doesn’t work for you, you can try QuickPwn 1.1 for Mac). As I mentioned in my other post, I didn’t upgrade to 2.0.2 because there wasn’t anything exciting with it. But 2.1 is a different beast, and you must upgrade if you want to have a better relationship with your iPhone, 2G or 3G. More »
Eleven days before his 30th birthday, a bigger Manny Pacquiao will face a much bigger opponent that will make him a rare underdog in his 53rd professional fight spanning 13 years. In January 1995, while this obscure and skinny 17 year old Filipino was fighting his first professional match as a Light Flyweight (106 lbs), a 22 year old fast rising star from the opposite side of the globe has just successfully defended for the second time his WBO Lightweight Title (135 lbs) with a 9th round stoppage, bringing his professional record to 16-0 with 15 KOs. His name is Oscar De La Hoya. More »
The much talked about new ad from Microsoft has not yet reached our local networks (I doubt if it will even be shown here), but no thanks to the Internet, it made me watched a commercial intently quite a few times. The thing is, that ad doesn’t let you easily get the message and is open to a lot of interpretations. Many people think the Shoe Circus store is an Apple Store and Bill and Seinfeld subtly pokes fun at Apple products just like the Mac vs PC ads. I didn’t see it that way. In fact if there was any hint of making fun of Apple’s products it was really, really very subtle. More »
For some people, the iPhone has taken away their lives. Make sure it doesn’t happen literally.
A surveillance video inside a bus in Columbus, OH, caught on tape a hooded teen lunging on a man who was wearing headphones and beating him up when he tried to hang on to his iPhone. Interestingly, nobody tried to do something and stop the attack… not even the driver of the bus.
This is nothing new in my country. Many passengers in buses, jeepneys and tricycles have become victims of public transportation robberies, some mercilessly killed while trying to hang on to their valued possessions. The usual targets are cellphones, bags, jewelries and sometimes laptops. Robbers usually work in teams, some acting as lookouts to watch for anyone who will try to help other passengers. Deployed policemen in civilian clothes inside these transportations have not deterred these crimes and some resulted in shootouts inside the buses. I always tell my children that nothing is worth hanging on to except their lives.
So, luckily for this guy on the video, he was only beaten up and still end up holding his precious iPhone.
I recently came across two old documentary films about the place of my birth. Watching these movies were like traveling back in time but never quite leaving from where I am.
70 years ago, those people were living their lives, unsure of what the future may bring. Those were people who have been released from the oppressive Spanish colonial rule and many are looking forward to better opportunities under the American colonial regime. The air smells of progress brought about by the new horseless carriages and new factories, imported chocolates and other American goodies. Philippine Independence was just around the corner. Smiles were everywhere. Still some go about their lives neither optimistic nor pessimistic, just unmindful of the bigger forest that provides some shade on their small weary lives. More »
Our beautiful house in Cubao, where I grew up, was finally sold. It will be turned into a paper factory. As long as I do not return to #47 16th Avenue, the same house shall remain as is in my memory. That is how I want it to be.
My father who is now enjoying his retirement (he teaches college part time) in the hustle and bustle free Palawan islands gave me the old piano my late mother loved so much. They make beautiful music together. She takes care of it like a soldier takes care of his rifle. I remember how upset she was over my piano teacher when she made scratches on the keyboard cover as a result of tapping her pen on it while trying hard to grind the lesson piece into my hard head. Normally, one would take my dad’s offer enthusiastically, but unlike the other valuable furnitures that were gone in 60 seconds, there were no takers for the piano. So my dad had to give it to me.
It’s already January 2007 and I haven’t touched my Wacom since my last post back in October. Am I losing my new found passion faster than I learned painting in Photoshop? Hopefully not. The main reason is too much office work or what I would like to convince myself. Maybe, if I just plug-in my graphics tablet to my laptop, open Photoshop, hold my pen and start doodling something… I may even start my obra maestra! Ah, the power of the brain to dream of something big but the weakness of the body to take the first small step. It’s what drinking and partying all night can do to you. At least I enjoyed the company of old friends from high school.
Anyway, rather than painting something that would take sometime, I will just post something that should inspire everyone including myself. I wished somebody gave this speech when I was still in school. Bill Gates has been my hero since I got my Windows 3.0 in 1990 and he wasn’t even the world’s richest man then. More »
